Fender lamp monitors

[regalt87]

Need help finding fiber optic cable for the fender monitors. Total of 6 cables. The housings are good so I only need the cable but if I have to get the entire package I will consider that.

Any direction you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks Scott. 863-557-6990

regalt87@aol.com

[75RivGS]

Try to check http://srt.suddenlaunch.com/index.cgi?board=gmclass on a regular base and look for 71-up big Buicks for sale.
That's how I bought 2 complete sets of fender monitors from guys on that board; most of the cars there will be stripped and they're willing to sell the small parts they do not need.

[dewbers]

How can you tell if the ones that are on the car now are bad or good? I mean obviously if they lite up they are good, but what if they don't. Might it only be a connection or something? Since mine is going to be down for some time with motor work being done, I may play around with some of this stuff. Thoughts?

[regalt87]

How can you tell if the ones that are on the car now are bad or good? I mean obviously if they lite up they are good, but what if they don't. Might it only be a connection or something? Since mine is going to be down for some time with motor work being done, I may play around with some of this stuff. Thoughts?

Problems that can cause total loss of functon or poor function are:

Lense dirty and won't allow light to transfer through fiber optic cable. This could be the case at either or both ends.
Alignment in the plug at the fixture where it doesn't pick up the light.
Alignment in the display housing mounted on the fender.
Broken crimped or cut cable.
The light bulb in the fixture being out.
The plug at the bulb no longer having the proper plug that has the available slot for the fiber optic cable.
Each fender mounted housing must be properly aimed toward the driver to effectively display the light. There are 2 5/16 nuts that can be loosened to facilitate aiming them.

[73 Centurion]

I also need to find a replacement for the cables. Does anyone know the diameter of the fiber optic cable? Does anyone have pictures of the metal fittings on the ends of the cables? I'm thinking of getting some generic cable and McGyvering the ends.

John

[regalt87]

I also need to find a replacement for the cables. Does anyone know the diameter of the fiber optic cable? Does anyone have pictures of the metal fittings on the ends of the cables? I'm thinking of getting some generic cable and McGyvering the ends.

John
I tried fiber optic cable a guy gave me and it was too small and didn't transmit enough light. A good friend knows a guy at the phone company and he took the cable to him and they couldn't help either. The best option I found was to post that your looking for it and eventually someone will answer that has some out of a parted out car.

[The German]

I would search for something like what they sell here in Germany (a link - translated by Google- ):

http://translate.google.de/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lichtfasern.de%2Ffase roptik_leuchten_licht.html&sl=de&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

You could buy the fibers for example in 10mm diameter, cut it to the length you need and fix it to the lamp and to the fender monitors. They have all you need ! On the other hand they sell min. length 10m (!) which is a lot too much, but sometimes people make exceptions when you call them telling what for you want their stuff. -
Guess you will find such a producer or a shop with such fiber optics in the US too. Just "google" it !

Good luck !

[Gum,beest]

Rolf
You must be meaning 1 mm instead of 10 mm that is to thick, there is no place for them inside the light monitors
i would recommend 2 mm (0.078") or 3 mm (0.11") they are closest to the original and would fit comfortably inside the light monitors and lights
If you buy 10 meters and cut them to length i think you could sell them as kit's for other forum members who all have the same old glass fibers in there light monitors :xyxthumbs:not me thou i replaced mine for led's they are brighter and do the same trick

[The German]

Erik, I understood the question of Scott so that he is searching for a source of fiber optic cabels and thought that this shouldn´t be so difficult. So I looked for such a source here in Germany and found that producer who has a lot of different cables for sale. So I assumed it shouldn´t be difficult to find such a producer or an shop in the US too where such fibers are sold and posted Scott my found talking about the 10mm cable as an example b/c I have never seen such a cable personally. Guess if you get the fibers of the diameter you need you can install them b/c they only have to bring the light from the lamps to the monitors so that you always have the control about the functionallity of the lamps. If you do it with LEDs you will see the light of the LEDs but not knowing whether the lamps are still working as they should - or ... ?!

[Gum,beest]

Rolf
It was not my intention to criticize your idea ( if you thought so, i am sorry)
I just thought that you made a type error because the company you linked to do offer different diameters
The minium buy of 10 meters length wouldn't be a problem if you cut the 10 meters up to the desired length and assembled kit's for the right and left side
As you stated there is no one that offers new fibre optics for the light monitors
I didn't find any so i converted mine to led that if wired correctly go out when the light is out and no current flows throu the wires so it does the same job as the fibre optics

[The German]

I only wanted to explain why I chose the 10-mm-example - perhaps I should have done this shorter writing only : I don´t know anything about the correct diameter ... ! Anyway, if you did the job with the LEDs as stated
... ... so i converted mine to led that if wired correctly go out when the light is out and no current flows throu the wires so it does the same job as the fibre optics it´s really a nice possibility - for Scott, John and may be others too ! ... and supposed to be cheaper than fiber optic = GOOD IDEA, Erik !

[75RivGS]

another advantage of using fibre is that you can check from the inside of the car whether all the bulbs are burning. When a bulb is burned there still is a current. In my 75 Riviera I even have a monitor for my tail and brake lamps (just above the rear window; visible through the rear view mirror)

[The German]

Hey, Erik, guess now it´s time to tell us in detail how you did the job with your LEDs as a fiber-replacement.
My guessing is that you connected every LED in a row with the lamp you wanted to be controlled so that if the lamps wire is burned away or the lamp has missed its contact (then there is no light b/c there is no current) the LED will be dead too - right ? Only the current will be a little bit lower with the LED in a row with a lamp so that the lamp will not as bright as it would be without LED, isn´t it so ?



another advantage of using fibre is that you can check from the inside of the car whether all the bulbs are burning. When a bulb is burned there still is a current. In my 75 Riviera I even have a monitor for my tail and brake lamps (just above the rear window; visible through the rear view mirror)

[Gum,beest]

I will ask my electronics guy if he can draw up a schematic
And then i will post it along with a parts list and a work instruction

[regalt87]

I replaced mine with old used fender monitors. they did not shine or reflect the amount of light I would like to see. The electronic method if mastered correctly seems like the best solution.